u.s. army engineering and support center, huntsville 2017 ... · the employee spotlight is intended...

BulletinJanuary 2018

U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville

Huntsville Center

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Vol. 39 Issue 1

Year in Review2017

2 BUILDING STRONG JaNUaRy 2018

Table of ContentsSpecial: Year in Review..............................................................................................................6

Architect helps fellow employee’s family in Puerto Rico......................................................14

Energy Summit 2016 provides insight for government, businesses......................................16

Engineer earns “CCM” designation......................................................................................17

Martin named ISPM director.................................................................................................18

Small Business Forum 2017 brings stakeholders together....................................................19

Huntsville Center oversees overhaul project in Japan ..........................................................20

Teamwork, safety key to dive operation’s success in Pearl Harbor.......................................21

Workplace survey results prompt nearly 40 recommendations..............................................22

Systems engineer overcomes adversity, recognized by Secretary of Defense.......................24

Contracting Corner: What’s in a name..................................................................................27

Ethics Corner: It’s that time of year again.............................................................................28

Hail and farewell

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*Editor’s note: Cover images and all “Year in Review” images are staff or Department of Defense archive images.

David Kahn, Richard Pinkey, Ed Nixon, Malynda Jones, Engineering Directorate; Jasmine Reason, Kyle Shireman, Shawn Baer, Safety Office; Kirk Ross, Jason Underwood, Rosalyn Moore, Resource Management; Lorraine Rosello, William Gregory, Chance Bowman, Amos Jackson, Installation Support and Programs Management Directorate; Andrew Young, Anthony Vaughn, Hykeem Walker, Ron Shepherd, Thomas Moss, William Bender, Caroline Bowman, Linda Derby, Peter Wren, Deborah Drake, Sheena Espindola, Center Contracting; Lee Alexander, Ordnance and Explosives Directorate.

Hail

FarewellJohn Bennett, Patricia Coates, James Tracy, Tiffany Campbell, Alex Trinh, Tyrone Jackson, CT; Jacob Morrison, Rosalyn Lampkin, Fred Davis, Laura Furdson, Trace Taylor, ISPM; Maya McDaniel, Equal Employment and Opportunity office; Richard Campbell, ED; Sarah Koh, Internal Review; Danna O’Neill, Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise.

Col. John S. HurleyDebra ValineWilliam S. Farrow

The Huntsville Center Bulletin is printed by digital copier as an official publication authorized under the provisions of AR 360-1. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the U.S. Army. Inquiries can be addressed to Public Affairs Office, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Attn: CEHNC-PA, 5021 Bradford Dr., Huntsville, AL 35805. Phone: DSN 760-1692 or commercial 256-895-1692. The Bulletin is also available online at www.hnc.usace.army.mil. The Huntsville Center Facebook page is located at www.facebook.com/HuntsvilleCenter. Follow Huntsville Center news and announcements on Twitter using hashtag #CEHNC. Circulation: 350.

BULLETINCommander.................................................Chief, Public Affairs....................................Editor............................................................

Printed on recycled paper30 percent post-consumer

JaNUaRy 2018 HUNTSvILLe CeNTeR BULLeTIN 3

Commander’s thoughts®

Col. John S. Hurley

See “Commander” on page 5

Welcome to 2018! I hope all of you enjoyed the holidays with family and friends and took

some much needed leave. First, let me express my thanks to each of your for your patience during the government shutdown Jan. 19-22. Thankfully, a temporary resolution will carry the government through Feb. 8.Shutting down the government, to include Huntsville Center, is a complicated process. The Center leadership received instructions from the Department of Defense, the Army and Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers directing us how to proceed. It was my intent to minimize the disruptions and burdens to each of you and our key stakeholders as we implemented the instructions. I’m pleased the shutdown was of short duration, and that you did not have to go into an unpaid status. The planning we’ve done helps us understand how the Center responds to this type of situation and provides us with a plan for the future. Please remember that the eventual classification of your status was in no way a measure of the value of your contributions. Each and every one of you is incredibly important to our mission, our stakeholders and the nation. A lot of good, important work is ongoing at Huntsville Center. Since September we have had folks deployed in support of hurricane recovery in Texas, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, as well as supporting wildfire recovery in California. It looks like these missions – especially in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands – will continue for quite some time.

To support this ongoing support to disaster recovery, we will need volunteers to replace those who are there and are nearing the end of their deployments. If you think you can support any of the requirements, coordinate with your supervisor and Jeffrey Davis. Our employees who deployed early on and stayed sometimes up to 60 days have been doing a remarkable job in very difficult circumstances. Through our efforts, things get a little bit better for the residents in those locations every day. One mission assignment Huntsville Center is supporting is helping to restore the power grid in Puerto Rico. Huntsville Center awarded two Basic Ordering Agreement contracts and a modification to the first BOA to Fluor Corporation totaling $1.3 billion. Repairing the power grid is a process that includes four main efforts: provide temporary emergency power and spot generation for critical facilities; ensure adequate generation at power plants; reinstall and repair transmission lines; and restore and repair distribution lines, ultimately providing power to local residences. Huntsville Center and other USACE organizations are partnering with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the Department of Energy and the Federal Emergency Management Agency on this important endeavor. This is an historic event that may some day be in the history books. In my last column, I spoke to you briefly about the renovations to building 4820 University Square. I expected that by this time the project would be well underway, and we have made a

little progress. We moved the Electronic Security Systems Division to Suites 16 and 18 in the White Tiger building. Since that time, there has been little activity. To remedy that, I invited the building owner’s representative, General Services Administration and other partners in this project to come to the building so they could see the work that needs to be done. Hopefully this will get the project moving. I have not forgotten that these renovations are a big concern that was identified on the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) Survey. While I am proud of all Huntsville Center employees, we have had a few recently receive very high level awards. Most recently, Valerie Clinkenbeard received the 2017 Defense Acquisition Workforce Individual Achievement Award in Facilities Engineering. This award recognizes the unique and significant contributions of the

The Employee Spotlight is intended to let Center employees shine for positively impacting the organization through mission achievements. Employees are featured quarterly in the Huntsville Center Bulletin. If you’d like to nominate someone within your office for this recognition, please contact William S. Farrow, Public Affairs Office, at 256-895-1694, or email: [email protected].

Employee Spotlight :

4 BUILDING STRONG JaNUaRy 2018®

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A member of the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center received the Bronze de Fleury

Medal during his visit to Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 26. Derek Pommerenck, who manages Environmental Program projects for Huntsville Center’s Ordnance and Explosives Design Center, received the award while attending training at the Savannah District Headquarters. The de Fleury Medal is named after François-Louis Teissèdre de Fleury, a French engineer who volunteered with the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Thomas Woodie, Pommerenck’s former supervisor and the chief of Savannah District’s Reimbursable Programs and Project Management, presented the award to Pommerenck without notice. Pommerenck had served with the Savannah District in various positions from 2009 to 2016, which included a deployment to Afghanistan. Pommerenck said receiving the award has prompted him to reflect on his diverse career as an Army engineer, both in uniform and as a civilian. Pommerenck received his commission in 1997 after earning his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University. During his first assignment in Germany with the 535th Engineer Company, he deployed to Albania during NATO’s conflict with Serbia in 1999. Pommerenck was part of the sole engineer component leading the construction effort there

Pommerenck’s next assignment was Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he served as the logistics officer with the 3rd Infantry Division’s Engineer Brigade. He deployed with the division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during the Army’s initial invasion into Iraq in March 2003. While deployed, he served as the senior engineer adviser to the assistant division commander. In May 2004, Pommerenck made the transition to civilian life. He moved to Savannah where he spent several years in the private construction industry. After several years as a business owner, he accepted a position with the Corps of Engineers’ Savannah District with Military Programs, Project Management Directorate. In 2010, he deployed for a third time – this time to Afghanistan – to manage the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Military Construction Program. His 15-month tour included overseeing a $5 billion construction effort. When Pommerenck redeployed, he stayed with the Savannah District but physically moved to Redstone Arsenal where he took on the role of senior project manager. There, he managed the largest

environmental restoration contract in the Army until 2016, when he accepted a position with Huntsville Center’s Ordnance and Explosives Directorate to manage environmental remediation projects. It was during environmental training at the Savannah District Headquarters that Pommerenck received the surprise from Woodie and members of the chain of command. “They just walked in the room and gave me the award – I had no idea,” he said. “It’s an honor for sure,” he added. “A lot of people don’t take time to look back and reflect on what they’ve done. You get so used to your day-to-day activities, and it’s given me a chance to kind of look back and reflect on some of the great things I’ve done and the great people I’ve worked with.”

By Stephen BaackPublic Affairs Office

Engineer receives Bronze de Fleury

Courtesy photo

Derek Pommerenck, left, project manager for the Center’s Ordnance and Explosives Design Center, is presented a Bronze de Fleury Medal from his former supervisor Thomas Woodie, chief of Savannah District’s Reimbursable Programs and Project Management, Oct. 26.

CommanderContinued from page 3


individual who demonstrated the highest levels of excellence and professionalism in the acquisition of products and services. Valerie’s technical expertise and knowledge of contractual issues allowed the Center to award numerous, complex contract vehicles in support of the DOD Facilities Engineering mission and most of the programs the Center delivers. This well-deserved award recognizes her accomplishments and unwavering commitment to the Center’s mission while serving as the Acquisition Liaison Manager and temporary Cost Engineering Branch Chief. Derek Pommerenck, an Environmental Program project manager for Huntsville Center’s Ordnance and Explosives Design Center, received a Bronze de Fleury Medal from his former supervisor Thomas Woodie, chief of Savannah District’s Reimbursable Programs and Project Management, for work he did for a number of projects. Pommerenck had served with the Savannah District in various positions from 2009 to 2016, which included a

deployment to Afghanistan. The de Fleury Medal is named after François-Louis Teissèdre de Fleury, a French engineer who volunteered with the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Another Center employee, Jason Moore, a Systems Engineer in Huntsville Center’s Management Review Office, received the 2017 Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Department of Defense Civilian Employees with Disabilities during National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October. Jason, who has a debilitating muscular disease and has overcome cancer, does not let his disabilities stop him from supporting a high priority, multi-million dollar, classified network. Stephen Castellane, EM CX Regulatory Specialist, has been selected for the 2018 Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Career Assignment Program (CAP)! This was an incredibly competitive selection process, and Stephen’s selection speaks both to his technical expertise and how well he is respected throughout USACE. Under this program, Stephen will

gain knowledge from the Headquarters perspective on both the Civil Works Environmental Compliance Program and the Civil Works Sustainability Program. Stephen will serve in the CAP position from July through December 2018. In mid-January, Alabama experienced Arctic cold temperatures, snow and ice that closed schools and delayed opening of Huntsville Center. It’s a good time to remind everyone to stay safe. If there is inclement weather, I will make a decision about the Center’s status, but be reminded that our policy is that we are normally open, with a liberal leave policy in effect. If the Center is open, but you feel you cannot get to work safely, you can call your supervisor to request liberal leave. Employees with an approved telework plan are expected to telework if they have tangible work that has been approved by their supervisor. The Center’s operating status will be posted on our website, Facebook and Twitter. If the Center is closed, we will notify news media. Essayons!

HNC News®

Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Maj. Gen. Michael Wehr joins Col. John Hurley, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville commander, and the Center’s Office of Small Business Programs team, Karen Baker (left) Rebecca Goodsell (center), Nicole Boone (right) at the Society of American Military Engineers 2017 Small Business Conference in Pittsburgh Nov. 15-17. The Center’s OSBP team received three Top Dollar awards for their work with small businesses.

Business as usual

Photo by Dennis Franklin

The Installation Support and Programs Management Directorate closed fiscal year 17

by executing $1.9 billion in obligations. Of the six divisions within ISPM, the largest amount obligated was executed by the Medical Division with $633.5 million via 1,958 contract actions.

Medical Division

The Medical Outfitting and Transition Program: Helped the U.S. Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases relocate into the largest and most complex bio-contamination facility ever designed. The Defense Department’s lead laboratory for medical biological defense research will soon be operating in its new $677 million facility at Fort Detrick, Maryland. The $84 million outfitting and transition project for USAMRIID is a full, turn-key approach that not only focuses on moving and replacing medical equipment, but the project is unique because of the nature of the USAMRIID mission. Huntsville Center partnered with Baltimore District, responsible for the construction of the facility. The

contract ensures the more than 800 military and civilian scientists and specialized support personnel have the tools they require to investigate disease outbreaks and threats to public health. Another notable achievement for fiscal year 17 was the opening of the Irwin Army Medical Center at Fort Riley, Kansas, on Oct. 12, 2016. A $45 million Huntsville Center project equipped and transitioned staff to the

new facility. The Huntsville Center and Initial Outfitting and Transition Program contractor worked together with the U.S. Army Health Facility Planning Agency and hospital leadership to provide turnkey project support for the equipping and transitioning of staff and patients into the new hospital.

Electronic Technology Division

Metering: The Army Metering Program made improvements to the Meter Data Management System (MDMS) to include the addition of Energy Production Meters, GIS data for each installation, and identification of "key" facilities at each installations. These improvements will be available when Version 2 of MDMS goes live in spring 2018. Data architecture improvements were made and several reports were re-designed. These improvements will increase the speed to the user in running these reports as well as increasing the stability of the system.Electronic Security Systems: The ESS Program awarded task orders


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Year In Review2017

Fiscal year 2017 is another one for the record books with Huntsville Center’s remarkable workforce executing $2.29 billion in annual obligations through nearly 5,000 contract actions: Engineering Directorate, $38 million; Environmental and Munitions Center of

Expertise, $25 million; Installation Support and Programs Management, $1.9 billion; Ordnance and Explosives Directorate, Chemical Demilitarization, $151 million; ACE-IT, $168 million; Grants, $27 million; Miscellaneous, $2 million; Management Review, $27 million. More than $633 million went to Small Businesses.

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Col. John S. HurleyCommander

Installation Support and Programs Management (ISPM)

Continued on page 7

A $45 million Medical O&T project equipped and allowed staff to transition to the new Irwin Army Medical Center, Fort Riley, Kansas.

supporting the U.S. Army National Guard (ARNG) and the U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC) totaling roughly $55 million in contract obligations. The works allows the ARNG and USARC ESS Program Offices to protect over 3,500 standalone facilities. Utility Monitoring and Control Systems: The UMCS Program executed 86 new contracts valued at $202 million to a diverse base of DOD customers worldwide. The UMCS Program, along with the UMCS Mandatory Center of Expertise (MCX), awarded a $19.7 million, five-year recurring maintenance and service contract covering all fire alarm controls systems at Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia.

Information Technology Division

The Information Technology Division awarded over 1,000 actions totaling $463.8 million in fiscal year 17. This work supports the USACE-IT Program and the High Performance Computer Program of out Vicksburg, and numerous Defense Health Agency (DHA) Medical and other DOD agencies requiring automated building system work. Medical Communications Infrastructure & Systems Support (MCIS2) Program: Collaborated with the Los Angeles District and the Health Facility Planning Agency to ensure facilities-related communications systems and communications infrastructure maintenance and upgrades were installed in the new Weed Army Community Hospital at Fort Irwin, California.

Military Support Division

Planning and Programming: As the program manager for the Army Military Construction Centrally Funded Planning Charrette Program, the Center oversaw the award

and execution of 34 Army projects totaling $2.7 million, which will form the basis for the future years military construction (MILCON) programming. The program obligated $30.8 million in support of Army stakeholders and USACE geographic districts. P&P worked with Fort Worth District on the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni planning and facilities assessment totaling $7.3 million. The program was also recognized for its exemplary work by the American Planning Association Federal Planning Division awards for the U.S. Army Reserve Regional Support Commands (RSC) Vision Plan & Capital Investment Strategy (CIS). 88th Regional Support Command Project Management Office: Our 88th Regional Support Command Project Management Office continues to provide base operations support, Medical Equipment Concentration Site (MECS) depot level equipment maintenance, and calibration and watercraft maintenance support. Through this support arrangement and with collaboration with St. Louis District, the 88th RSC was able to achieve operational rates previously not seen within the Army Reserve, such as a watercraft maintenance rate increase from 32 percent to 90 percent. Huntsville Center MECS support allowed the 88th RSC MECS operation to streamline its depot level repair process by reducing the backlog of maintenance from nine months to almost zero.

Energy Division

Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC)/Utility Energy Services Contracting (UESC): The ESPC Program expanded its partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) by providing project facilitation support for four non-DOD federal sector projects. The UESC Program received the 2017 Federal Energy and Water Management Award for their efforts on the Defense Intelligence Agency UESC project at the Intelligence Community Campus - Bethesda (ICC-B) in Maryland. When fully executed, the project is expected to reduce energy use by about 47 percent from the baseline and save about $1.1 million annually. ESPC conducted the first ever Measurement and Verification Workshop. The workshop allowed attendees to share information, experiences, and lessons learned on past and ongoing ESPC projects. ESPC, partnering with Southland Energy and the Installation Management Command, conducted a ground-breaking ceremony at Fort Riley, Kansas. This first phase of a multi-phased ESPC project at Fort Riley will provide $37,721,463 in facility improvements across 280 buildings. These improvements will be paid for from the $2,447,496 in annual cost savings generated and will achieve more than $92


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ISPMContinued from page 8

Military Support Division’s Planning and Programming worked with Fort Worth District on the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni planning and facilities assessment totaling $7.3 million.


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million in savings over a 22-year period. The project guarantees Fort Riley $2.4 million savings per year, which equates to a 14.8 percent reduction of energy and 10 percent reduction in water consumption.Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program: ERCIP will assume the validation mission for the Air Force ERCIP Program in fiscal year 18 in addition to the current Army ERCIP validation mission. This agreement doubles the program effort with both Air Force and Army each traditionally having $40-45 million of energy projects each fiscal year.Commercial Utilities Program: CUP received approval for $1.4 million in annual central funding for POM cycle fiscal year 18 through fiscal year 22 to support utility rate intervention, utility service assessments, utility service contract negotiation and labor utility management support. The fiscal year 17 program utility cost avoidance and savings return on investment is 14 to 1 with a total value of $30,556,077 (fiscal year 2017 through 2020). CUP is helping the Vicksburg District save nearly $34,000 monthly in costs to operate the Tensas-Cocodrie Pumping Plant in Monterey, Louisiana. The program negotiates with utility providers to ensure reliable utility services for Army installations and facilities at the lowest possible cost. Over the course of the 10-year contract period, USACE will save $402,000 annually or $4 million.Office of Energy Initiatives/Office of Energy Assurance: The OEI/OEA support team awarded a support services contract for $48 million over 4.5 years for the technical and programmatic support for the Army Office of Energy Initiatives and Air Force Office of Energy Assurance. This contract supports the development of resilient and renewable and alternative energy projects at Army and

Air Force installations. In addition to the support services, the team partnered with OEI in conducting two microgrid assessments for Fort Rucker and Anniston Army Depot, Alabama, in support of the Army's energy security and resiliency mission.

Facilities Division

Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)-Fuels Program: DLA-Fuels Program expanded by bringing the majority of Air Force bases into the Recurring Maintenance and Minor Repair scope. They executed more than 1,550 critical and timely recurring maintenance visits to maintain the capital investment and 3,400 completed minor repairs (service orders) with a placement value of $57.3 million to maintain equipment operational readiness. DLA-Fuels also serviced Marine Loading Arms (MLAs) at 23 sites worldwide for all Services. The program is providing maintenance and minor repair for DLA-Energy and the Service Components at 433 sites. Facilities Repair and Renewal (FRR): FRR, Ordnance and Explosives Design Center and Huntsville Center’s Engineering Directorate teamed up to support Air Force Civil Engineering Center (AFCEC) and the Air National Guard (ANG) in the transition of U.S. Air Force fire suppression systems at 76 active Air Force Installations and 41 ANG locations worldwide. The contract actions were divided between eight USACE major subordinate command areas of responsibility. The estimated cost of this effort was nearly $44 million for the Air Force and $4 million for the ANG. Base Operations Program: The Base Operations Program awarded a $9.5 million contract for preventive and corrective maintenance services in support of Fort Wainwright, Alaska. This ultimately resulted in 81 service order actions for fiscal year 17. Access Control Point: The ACP

Program successfully maintained an operational rate of over 90 percent for critical security equipment and started the execution of infrastructure upgrades for up to 74 sites to support installation of Automatic Installation Equipment by the Office of the Provost Marshal General. Partnering with the Omaha District, the program initiated surveys for security upgrades for Installation Management Command at 47 domestic facilities and facilities in Korea, Japan and Europe. The ACP Program successfully supported a critical unfunded requirement (UFR) effort at Fort Bragg, North Carolina for two ACPs. As a result, three program personnel received the Commander's Award for Civilian Service from Fort Bragg command leadership. Facilities Reduction Program: FRP introduced a new program method by combining pre-demolition surveys with demolition task orders into a single acquisition. The program also earned a “Best in Class” designation from the GSA Gateway. FRP executed its first "Virtual Industry Day" to network and discuss new and innovative ways to perform abatement and demolition.

ISPMContinued from page 7

Marine Loading Arms, Sesebo, Japan. DLA-Fuels serviced arms at 23 sites worldwide.


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The OE Design Center, Environmental Program and Weapons Demilitarization executed 212 actions with obligations of $120 million. The bulk of our design

center and acquisition support was to the following USACE geographic districts: Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, Mobile, Louisville, Honolulu, Alaska, New England, New York and Tulsa. The International Remediation and Environmental Services (IRES) Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) was awarded in fiscal year 17 and has a suite of four large and three small firms with a total capacity of $990 million for Military Munitions Response; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Programs; Range Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization; International Contingency Operations; and Internal Environmental Remediation Programs. The very first task order was awarded to a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business valued at $11.8 million for remediation in Afghanistan. OE also supported the Air Force Civil Engineer Command (AFCEC) with eight task order awards to replace Aqueous Film Firefighting Foam (AFFF) at all fire stations under AFCEC jurisdiction. Geographic districts are key partners and will provide quality assurance for all projects. Huntsville Center provided construction management oversight support for construction of a new $150 million Central Reference Laboratory in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Huntsville Center validated three laboratories located in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan for a combined value of $50,000. High Explosive Training Ranges (HETRs) clearance throughout the Combined Joint Operations Area-Afghanistan (CJOA-A) remains underway and continues to make meaningful progress. Eighteen ranges received certificates from Directorate of Mine Action Coordination (DMAC) making the total certificates received 58 of 84. The Environmental Response Team (ERT) played a key role in disposal of hazardous materials and waste, along with the base closure and transfer process throughout Afghanistan. ERT accepted 300,000 kilograms of Petroleum Oil and Lubricant (POL) contaminated soil for bioremediation in soil land farms making a total of 2 million kilograms. Task Force SAFE (Safety Actions Fire and Electrical) electrical and fire safety team operating in Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq identified and mitigated 153,093 Urgent and Priority deficiencies in support of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The Environmental Footprint Reduction (EFR) Program, Afghanistan completed 153 service project requests at Kandahar Air Field, FOB Fenty, Bagram Air Field and Shorab. The Chemical Warfare team managed fieldwork at 14 sites potentially contaminated with chemical warfare materiel in fiscal year 17. We have recovered more than 214 chemical

Ordnance and Explosives Directorate (OE)

agent identification sets and eight liquid filled rounds from disposal locations at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas. We had three new project starts including Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Yellow Jacket Target Area, Utah Huntsville Center became the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System Mandatory Center of Expertise Sept. 30. BMD provides support to the following geographic districts: Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Honolulu, Japan, New York, Europe and Middle East. Huntsville Center worked with Alaska District to remove old legacy Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) equipment in preparation for the Missile Defense Agency’s Long Range Discriminating Radar (LRDR) project at Clear Air Station, Alaska. The BMEWS project includes removal of three large antenna arrays, the antenna foundations, and various facilities and utility corridors that would impact performance of the LRDR, all which must be removed by November, 2019. In 2017, the arrays and their foundations were removed in time to support the beginning of construction of the LRDR, despite the discovery of environmental contamination throughout much of the site, to include soil around the foundations. Clean soil from the foundations was provided to the LRDR contractor for use to accelerate their efforts. Huntsville Center is working closely with the Missile Defense Agency to complete removal of the remainder of the buildings and infrastructure. Huntsville Center is partnering with Japan District and Pacific Ocean Division to deliver commercial power to the Kyogamisake Communications Site. Huntsville Center executed several studies and the design in support of the effort. In addition, Huntsville Center will purchase large U.S.-based equipment (motor generator set, transformer, 4160-volt cabling and terminal kits), install this equipment and perform start-up and commissioning on the entire system.

Removal of antenna arrays at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska.

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The EM CX had more than $25 million in obligations in fiscal year 2017.

National Environmental Policy (NEPA) Act support to Headquarters, Army Installation Management Command (HQ IMCOM): In support of HQ IMCOM, the EM CX participated on Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-led team to evaluate multiple potential courses of action to increase consistency in NEPA implementation nationally and to enhance communication between HQ IMCOM and USACE with respect to implementation of NEPA at installations. The EM CX partnered with the Army Environmental Command (AEC) to establish respective roles and responsibilities and was ultimately proposed as the USACE “NEPA Integrator” for IMCOM. The NEPA Integrator will be responsible for:

n Being the single USACE point of contact for communications and reportingn Providing quality assurance of USACE productsn Identifying experts within USACE to support programmatic NEPA initiatives n Identifying USACE contract capabilitiesn Receiving and distributing funds to USACE districtsn Assisting in NEPA program and project standardization n Supporting AEC in their Quality Assurance, training and guidance development rolesn Participating in AEC’s NEPA Community of Practice (CoP) as requested by AECn Establishing a NEPA sub-CoP within USACE’s Engineering Knowledge Online Environmental CoP to facilitate communication of information within USACE

Evaluation and Assessment of Regulatory and Legislative Impact (EARLI): The EM CX continued partnering closely with AEC on refinement of the EARLI SharePoint database. EARLI is used to track evolving state and federal environmental laws and regulations to better anticipate impacts on IMCOM budgets. Collaboration continued throughout fiscal year 17. Meeting participants

included the EM CX, AEC, the Environmental Research and Development Center (ERDC), and Regional Environmental and Energy Office (REEO) representatives. The EM CX and REEOs populate the EARLI SharePoint site with federal and state legislative and regulatory data and evaluate whether

detailed analysis is recommended; AEC identifies the cost impacts to IMCOM; and IMCOM uses the data to

develop resource requirements for the future. The database continues to evolve to meet

user needs. Enterprise Environmental Safety and Occupational Health Management Information System (EESOH-MIS) support to HQ/IMCOM: The EM CX continues to assist

Army G-4 (logistics) in implementation of EESOH-MIS to track and manage hazardous

materials and hazardous wastes at Army installations. By implementing EESOH-MIS and

training staff to use it, garrisons are positioned to retrieve data to meet environmental reporting requirements. In fiscal year 17, the EM CX implemented EESOH-MIS at three

installations and conducted preliminary evaluations or follow-on training at 17 installations.

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) support

to HQ IMCOM: The EM CX conducted two “The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Standardization - Garrison Reporting Short Training Course” to USACE and installation staff. This course is based

on The EPCRA Reporting Analysis and Standardization guidance previously

developed by the EM CX. Clean Air Act support to HQ IMCOM:

The EM CX is developing a guidance document to help installations meet Clean Air Act emission

inventory requirements. The EM CX evaluated federal and state regulations and policies and performed site visits to understand roles, responsibilities and activities of garrison directorates and tenants. This ongoing effort will result in guidance for preparing air emission inventories to maximize consistency and improve environmental compliance across IMCOM installations. Environmental Liability Reporting support to civil works: On behalf of HQ USACE, the EM CX prepared Non-Formerly Used Sites Remedial Action program Environmental Liability (EL) reports for civil works. This involved issuing quarterly data calls on behalf of HQ

Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise (EM CX)


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USACE, reviewing and compiling data for accuracy, coordinating with HQ USACE resource management staff, and participating in the annual audit of the EL report. Sustainability support to civil works: In support of water consumption reduction initiatives, the EM CX provided quality assurance (QA) review of potable and non-potable water data in the Corps of Engineers Reduced and Abridged Federal Energy Management Program Tool (CRAFT) database to ensure data was complete and that any significant variations in usage were properly explained. In support of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction initiatives, the EM CX prepared Scope 3 GHG calculations and provided sustainability training. This assists in meeting requirements established via executive order to reduce emissions related to climate change. Environmental Compliance support to civil works: The EM CX regularly provided environmental compliance support, technical review and technical assistance to the Civil Works Environmental Compliance Coordinator (ECC) sub-Environmental Community of Practice (ECC Sub-eCoP). Efforts included supporting the team revising ER 200-2-3, Environmental Compliance Policies; maintaining information distributed via the ECC Sub CoP on the Engineering Online website; and processing requests for permissions to access the CPTrack database used to record and track the status of environmental compliance assessments and corrective actions.Environmental training: In FY 17, the EM CX instructed 60 different courses to more than 1,300 USACE and DOD personnel. Eighty-two sessions were instructed using both classroom and virtual/web-based training. The EM CX provides vital information through environmental

courses related to a variety of topics, including: environmental laws and regulations, military munitions response, construction oversight, program policy, remediation technologies, and hazardous waste management and manifesting. Customers included training in support of Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS), PROSPECT, IMCOM, AEC and the Army National Guard.Technical reviews: The EM CX provides support on complex environmental and munitions issues through independent technical reviews, quality assurance reviews, munitions safety submission reviews, and requested discipline-specific technical support. In FY 17, the EM CX conducted reviews of approximately 900 document submittals including response to comments. These reviews provide value and ensure consistent and justifiable solutions on environmental remediation

projects in support of Formerly Used Defense Sites, Active Army, Base Realignment and Closure, Environmental Protection Agency Superfund, Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, and Civil Works programs.Defense and State Memorandum of Agreement (DSMOA): Every two years, the DSMOA team awards new Cooperative Agreements (CAs) to participating states and U.S. territories. This process involves 52 states/territories and five components (Army, Air Force, Navy, FUDS, and DLA). In FY 17, the CA 14-16 was completely closed out having funded more than $80 million. In addition, the DSMOA team successfully awarded CA 16-18 to 52 states totaling more than $79 million. Finally, the CA 18-20-year-long development process was initiated with all 52 states electing to continue participation in the DSMOA program. The Joint Execution Plan (JEP) update portion of the DSMOA Portal, used to maintain and modify JEPs, wassuccessfully reengineered and installed in May. The reengineering increased stability, improved maintainability and enhanced performance by streamlining the database structures and simplifying the portal code. This resulted in an improved user experience for more than 2,100 DSMOA community members. Environmental Services Cooperative Agreements (ESCA): The EM CX obligated $847,000 in grants to two different Local Reuse Authorities, through the ESCA program on behalf of the HQ Army BRAC office. The EM CX and Center Contracting managed 10 environmental cleanup grants with eight different Local Reuse Authorities totaling more than $511 million. These are non-expiring funds, and the terms of the grant may take up to 30 years to complete.

EMCXContinued from page 10

Huntsville Center’s Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise provides engineering and scientific support to environmental remediation, munitions response and compliance programs around the world. The EM CX also provides environmental management assistance on special studies and analyses.


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Formerly Used Defense Sites program support

The EM CX provides technical support to HQ USACE, divisions and districts.

Optimization Studies: HQ USACE and the EM CX conducted remediation optimization studies (Remediation Systems Evaluations) at three FUDS. These studies involved the independent review of remediation work at high cost and/or long-duration sites by teams of EM CX and district technical experts. The reviews provided recommendations to improve effectiveness, reduce cost, shorten time to cleanup, and apply green and sustainable measures at the sites. Consistent with a strong HQ USACE interest in closing sites, the ideas offered could have significant impacts on accelerating the cleanups, as well as suggesting ways to reduce annual costs.Munitions and Explosives of Concern Models: The EM CX developed two new cost models for the Remedial Action Cost Engineering Requirements (RACER) software: the MEC Remedial Investigation with Advanced Geophysical Classification (AGC) model and the MEC Removal Action with AGC model. AGC allows a project team to analyze metallic objects in the subsurface to distinguish MEC from non-hazardous debris. This distinction allows the remedy to focus on the isolated recovery of MEC, resulting in a significant reduction in overall cost. Development of the new cost models was necessary to account for this technology. In addition, the algorithms used in the new models are more accurate and reflect current industry standards for munitions response. This effort optimizes cost

estimations for munitions response activities using state-of-art processes and technologies.Environmental Liabilities Audit Preparation: The EM CX provided support to HQ USACE FUDS personnel on audit readiness for the FUDS environmental liability reported in the Annual Report to Congress. Specifically, the EM CX prepared 55 audit packages for the Army Audit Agency (AAA) to review. These audit packages consist of the cost to complete (CTC) estimate, reference documents, evidence of required

reviews, and the demonstration of experience and training for each estimator and reviewer. The passing rate for these audit packages was 78 percent. Passing is defined as no reportable findings. The process the EM CX developed for creating an auditable CTC estimate in the FUDS program is reflected positively by the results of this AAA Audit.Superfund Program support:Serving a USACE-wide role for processing funds and scopes for



The federal Superfund program is designed to fund the cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants. The EM CX distributed more than $300 million to USACE districts in FY 17 and played a significant role in implementing the systems and controls for Interagency Agreements necessitated by a new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers- Environmental Protection Agency Memorandum of Agreement.


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interagency support to the EPA Superfund program, the EM CX distributed more than $300 million to USACE districts in FY 16 and reached the same milestone again in FY 17. These annual distributions represent a record high for the last decade. Also in this past year, the EM CX has played a significant role in implementing the systems and controls for Interagency Agreements necessitated by a new USACE-EPA Memorandum of Agreement signed in December 2016.Department of Defense Advanced Geophysical Classification Accreditation Program: To support a DOD policy letter that established a January 2017 deadline for DAGCAP accreditation of contractors that utilize Advanced Geophysical Classification (AGC) technology on DOD Munitions Response Site (MRS) environmental cleanups, the program made significant progress in FY 17. The EM CX role in the program is as lead and technical (geophysics) support to the Environmental Data Quality Workgroup (EDQW) AGC accreditation subgroup that established and oversees the program on behalf of DOD. DAGCAP scheduled nine AGC demonstrations at the program test site at Aberdeen Proving Ground, resulting in the accreditation of seven Geophysical Classification Organizations, representing both small and large business. The program also validated three data analysis software packages. All program requirements and accreditation/validation lists are made available to the public on DENIX. The program will continue to issue accreditation and reaccreditation of organizations (frequency of reaccreditation is every two years) into the future based on a resource commitment from the DOD component services through FY 21.Advanced Geophysical Classification: The EM CX is at the forefront of implementing innovative technologies in the DOD’s Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP). With investments by DOD of over $35 million over the past 10 years to improve efficiencies in munitions cleanup, the EM CX has been instrumental in shaping the course and success of focused research and development to produce Advanced Geophysical Classification. To date, EM CX personnel have helped 22 project teams implement the technology, with an $8 million savings to the FUDS program, $9.5 million savings to the Army MMRP, and $900,000 to the BRAC MMRP. Active Army Five-Year/Periodic Review Management: The EM CX continued managing the execution of all Five-Year and Periodic Reviews for the Army Environmental Command. The FY 17 Five-Year/Periodic Review budget executed was $1,140,000, which included six CERCLA NPL 5YRs, 11 CERCLA non-NPL 5YRs, and six Periodic Reviews executed by USACE districts.

Active Army Optimization Studies: With the support of HQ Army, the EM CX managed a pilot effort to apply remediation optimization concepts, developed at the EM CX, at three Army installations. These Remediation System Evaluations (RSEs) involve the independent review of remediation work at high cost and/or long-duration sites at the installations. The RSEs were conducted by teams of EM CX and district technical experts in environmental engineering and hydrogeology. The RSEs provided recommendations to improve effectiveness, reduce cost, shorten cleanup time, and apply green and sustainable measures at the sites.Military Response Site Prioritization Protocol Quality Assurance: The EM CX reviewed 186 MRSPP reports for the FUDS program and 26 for the Army Environmental Command (AEC). The MRSPP is an annual congressional requirement for all DOD components, and is used to prioritize funding allocations across the Defense Environmental Response Program. Explosives Safety: The EM CX reviewed 62 Explosives Site Plans, Explosives Safety Submissions, Chemical Safety Submissions and Chemical Site Plans for munitions clean up investigations for the FUDS Program, BRAC program, Army Environmental Command MMRP, Air Force MMRP and National Guard Bureau MMRP. The EM CX also approved 19 such plans for the FUDS Program in fiscal year 17. The EM CX is the Direct Reporting Unit for all FUDS ESP, CSP, CSS and ESS, which means the EM CX has signatory authority to submit these plans to the U.S. Army Technical Center of Expertise for Explosives Safety for formal Army and DOD Department of Explosives Safety Board approval on behalf of all FUDS project managers. The EM CX’s review and submission process resulted in an estimated $460,000 annual savings to the DOD’s environmental cleanup program through expedited review schedules.


The EM CX is at the forefront of implementing innovative technologies to improve efficiencies in munitions cleanup.


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Center Contracting (CT)Deliver the Program: Diligent recruitment and retention efforts grew the Contracting’s workforce to 194 civilian and four military employees. Attrition is down from 18 percent in FY 16 to 14 percent in FY 17. A cross-functional team from the Engineering Directorate and CT developed tools to simplify the decision making process for including sustainability/green energy requirements in solicitations/contracts. Huntsville Center shared the workbook with Headquarters, Procurement Agent Responsible for Contracting (PARC) and other USACE districts. CT developed a unique approach in evaluating offerors. To help the USACE Learning Center evaluate teaching techniques of offerors for a Project Management Plan (PMP)-prep course, the Request-for-Proposal (RFP) required offerors to submit a brief teaching demonstration and post it to YouTube.com. This technique improved the ability to pick dynamic instructors capable of keeping students engaged, resulting in a better learning experience. Monty Spicer, a Huntsville Center property administrator, provided property administration expertise for the 100 percent inventory, close out and

turnover of more than 26,000 line items of property, more than 8,000 line items of materials, and spearheaded multiple property dispositions in Kosovo, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey for U.S. Army Europe Support Contract II in support of Europe District. Thirty employees successfully passed HQ, USACE’s Contracting Officer Warrant Board testing and became warranted contracting officers. One employee successfully passed HQ, USACE’s Grants Officer Warrant Board test and became a warranted Grants Officer. An Army-level Program Management Review of the Center’s Government Purchase Card (GPC) program resulted in the Center earning a “green” rating, with two best practices: timely payment and use of rebates, and outstanding record keeping.

Strengthen The Foundation:The Huntsville Fraud Resident Agency Major Procurement Fraud Unit of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command presented an expose of acquisition fraud on Feb. 15, with actual video from a USACE case involving a contracting officer soliciting a kickback. In February, HQ, USACE performed two comprehensive virtual

PMRs of 451 contract actions. CT prepared a robust corrective action plan in June. HQ, USACE accepted the plan with no further actions required. In addition, CT, participated as PMR team reviewers in HQ-chaired PMRs of Seattle, Charleston, and Little Rock districts. CT was instrumental in developing a way forward for enhancing cost and price evaluations and worked in concert with cost engineering to develop a robust plan to improve the quality of price evaluations. In addition, CT arranged for Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) to provide training to the workforce on DCAA audit capability and assistance that they provide to Contracting organizations. Center Contracting successfully passed a GPC audit conducted by Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement (DASA-P), and received the highest rating and also participated in the annual GSA GPC Symposium. CT also successfully responded to 14 DASA-P or HQ,USACE GPC data calls, and met all due dates for responses.

PeopleEmergency and Contingency Response: More than 70 Huntsville Center employees volunteered to deploy to support flooding in Louisiana at the beginning of the fiscal year, and to support hurricane recovery efforts in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and wildfire recovery efforts in California at the end of the fiscal year.

Safety Office: Huntsville Center has an excellent worldwide safety record. In FY 17, the Center completed 1,722,736 civilian man hours with zero lost time accidents and only three other recordable cases for a Total Case Incidence Rate of .35, well below the USACE standard for green. Contractor Days Away From Work, Restricted Duty and Job Transfer rate was .39 for 11,913,518 man hours worked,

also well below the USACE standard.

Human Capital: The Human Capital Team accomplished 12 outreach efforts that included nine university career fairs and three Warriors to the Workforce events in the local and regional area. As a result of the outreach, Human Capital facilitated the recruitment, selection and placement of 21 summer hire students across Huntsville Center as well as the USACE Learning Center. This year's students were an outstanding group of young adults. They were engaged, hard-working and eager to learn. Many of the Center's managers rotated them through different areas of the Center to complement or better suit their field of study.


People and Awards

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People and Awards

AwardsEmployee National Award Recognition

Program Procurement Contracting Officer of the Year 2016: Alan Fearns, contracting officer with the Huntsville Center’s Energy Savings Performance Contracting team received the 2016 USACE Excellence in Contracting Awards Program Procurement Contracting Officer of the Year Award. The award recognized his assistance with the revision of the ESPC procurement process.

Harvard Senior Executive: In late November, Arthur Martin III, then deputy director, Installation Support and Programs Management, was selected as one of only two individuals from USACE notified of their selection to participate in the “very competitive” senior executive program at Harvard University.

40 Under 40: Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine awarded Porscha Porter, chief of the Strategy and Business Management Branch in Huntsville Center’s Energy Division, and Africa Welch-Castle, the strategic development lead, also with the Energy Division, with their 40 Under 40 Award, which is given to 40 nonresidential building industry professionals age 40 and younger. Candidates were nominated by a professional colleague or mentor and judged based on nine areas including their commitment to excellence in their academic, professional, personal and community involvement. Porter and Welch-Castle are the only two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees to receive the 2017 award. Africa-Welch and Porter also received awards from the Association of Energy Engineers. Africa-Welch received the Southern Region Energy Engineer of the Year and Porter received the same region's Energy Manager of the Year.

Federal Energy and Water Management Award: The Defense Intelligence Agency, working with the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville’s Utility Energy Services Contracting program manager Lisa Harris and contracting officer Barbara Osterkamp, USACE Baltimore District and other partners, received a 2017 Federal Energy and Water Management Award for a project at the

Intelligence Community Campus - Bethesda (ICC-B). The UESC team developed the energy infrastructure to support ICC-B via the phased project to align with other construction and renovation on the campus. The first phase constructed a central utility plant to replace three existing thermal plants. The resulting plan, which featured variable frequency drive chillers, condensing boilers, and a heat-recovery chiller, greatly improved the efficiency of the existing thermal infrastructure and yielded significant operational savings and avoided maintenance costs. Subsequent phases addressed elements of the mechanical and electrical systems within the tenant spaces; design and construction of the core electrical and mechanical infrastructure to support the largest building on the campus; and the installation of a comprehensive building automation system to connect all of the buildings on campus. When fully executed, the UESC is expected to reduce energy use by about 47 percent from the baseline and save about $1.1 million annually.

Secretary of the Army Award for Excellence in Contracting Specialized Services and Construction Contracting: Oksana Joye received the 2016 Secretary of the Army Award for Excellence in Contracting Specialized Services and Construction Contracting. Under Joye’s leadership, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Energy Savings and Performance Contract program has enabled the Army to lead the DOD in its support of the President’s Energy Savings and Performance-Based Contracting Investment Initiative Challenge.

Engineer Day Awardsn Employee of the Year: Daniel Shepard n Contracting Professional of the Year: Susan Parsonsn Project Manager of the Year: Lisa Ramirezn Program Manager of the Year: Nathan Durhamn Innovator of the Year: Brian Woodroofn Resource Management Employee of the Year: Donzia King-Clarkn Engineer of the Year: Ryan Bowersn Administrative Support Employee of the Year: Maureen SlaternCommander’s Leadership Award: Laura Lokey-Flippon Commander’s Diversity Award: Daniel Unsenn Commander’s Leadership Diversity Award: Colleen O’Keefen Project Delivery Team of the Year: Hardware Catalog Management System PDTn Volunteer of the Year: Matthew Urbanicn Safety Champion: David Shockley

Fearns

Welch-Castle

Porter

Joye

Continued from page 14


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Like many members of the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, who have been deploying to help residents of hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico,

Neriah Holly volunteered to help people he didn’t know. But less than a day before his departure in early November, an unexpected request from a fellow employee made his mission a lot more personal. That fellow employee was Maria Brito, a secretary with Resource Management whose parents live in a remote part of Puerto Rico and have been relying on a generator for all of their electrical needs since September. Her father, 79-year-old Alberto Marquez, has been making regular trips to the closest service station where he waits in line to get gas for his generator. Complicating matters is that Marquez needs to use that generator all night to run a respiratory ventilation machine for his sleep apnea. This additional requirement means he needed more gasoline for his generator, which meant more trips and more waiting in line. With only two gas canisters, Marquez’s trips were frequent and time-consuming, said Brito. “In the beginning, he had to take a turn, get a ticket, and he was Number 200 on the line to get gas,” said Brito. “It was backed up that far. I think the first time waiting for gas, he was out there for seven hours in line. It progressively got better, but it was still time he had to go every other day to get gas. The 5-gallon gas containers sold out really quickly on the whole island.” Like thousands of other residents throughout the island, Brito’s parents were also in need of other basic supplies such as batteries and lanterns. Because she had no quick way of sending such supplies to her parents or traveling there herself, Brito reached out to Jeffrey Davis, Huntsville Center’s emergency management specialist and deployment coordinator. “It just so happened that the next morning, Neriah was leaving at 5:30. It was so funny,” said Brito. “I contacted Jeffrey at about noon, and he said, ‘Yes. I’ll find you someone.’ Within two hours, we connected and made plans.” Holly, who works as an architect in the Engineering Directorate, was ready to deploy to Puerto Rico for a month as a quality assurance inspector in support of Operation Blue Roof. It would be Holly’s job to assess homes to see if they were eligible for temporary roofing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Each roof consists of blue, plastic sheeting secured with strips of wood. Holly also examined each project to see if contractors needed to perform

Architect helps fellow employee’s family in PR

Neriah Holly, left, an architect with Huntsville Center, takes a ‘selfie’ with Alberto Marquez, father of fellow Huntsville Center employee Maria Brito, while deployed to Puerto Rico in November. Brito serves as a secretary in Resource Management and coordinated with Holly to hand off some supplies to Marquez during Holly’s monthlong deployment.

additional repairs, add structural components, make changes to how the roofs were secured to the home, or if construction crews required extra work platforms. Overall, more than 850 USACE personnel are actively engaged in the effort to restore power, provide temporary roofing, perform debris removal and lend technical assistance in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria. The ongoing effort is the Corps’ top priority. Huntsville Center itself has deployed more than 80 people as part of hurricane response efforts in 2017, according to Davis, and more opportunities to deploy are open for 2018. “It’s great what they’re doing over there,” Brito said of her deployed USACE comrades. “It’s really awesome.” The afternoon before Holly’s departure, Brito went to the store and picked up two gas canisters, along with some batteries and lanterns. The next morning, she linked up with Holly to give him a duffel bag full of supplies. Within four days of Holly’s arrival to Puerto Rico, he connected with Marquez and gave him what he needed. “He’s an awesome man,” said Holly. “He’s a veteran, and he had a lot of stories. He was very thankful for the missions we’re doing down there. He gave a thank-you from Puerto Rico for what we’re all doing. He’s a great individual. We talked out there for maybe an hour, just getting to know each other.” Holly said Marquez told him he would also share these supplies with neighbors. “They’re all kind of hurting for some of those essential things we take for granted,” said Holly. “I feel much better, of course – relieved,” said Brito.

By Stephan BaackPublic Affairs Office

See “Puerto Rico” on page 17

HNC News®


One of the latest photos on the wall of professionals at Huntsville Center is of Aaron

Renfro, who earned his Certified Construction Manager designation in September. Renfro, who is assigned to Huntsville Center’s Ordnance and Explosives Directorate, is the construction lead at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant in Richmond, Kentucky. It’s his job, along with his colleagues on site, to see to completion the construction of the last chemical demilitarization plant in the nation. While the CCM designation does not grant him extra authorities or responsibilities, Renfro said “it’s a way of demonstrating that I’ve got all the experience and knowledge necessary to be fully capable and competent about managing a construction project from beginning to end. “It’s a certification that shows you’ve met all the technical requirements and have all the core competencies to be a construction manager,” he added. Renfro said the CCM designation is akin to the more common Project

Management Professional designation, which is held by more than 700,000 professionals in the world. In contrast, Renfro’s certification number is 7,447, as the CCM designation is newer than that of the PMP. He added that while the PMP designation is suited to project managers, the CCM designation is more applicable to construction quality assurance representatives, project engineers, resident engineers and area engineers. Renfro estimates there are only about three or four other CCMs assigned to Huntsville Center, whereas there are more than 50 PMPs here,

according to Huntsville Center’s Human Capital office. Receiving the CCM certification requires passing an exam that covers the process of managing a construction project from start to finish. “It touches on a broad spectrum of all aspects related to construction management of a project, from a customer coming to you with a problem or a need, and then everything that it takes to take that problem or need through the beginning of the project through design to construction, and then closing out the project and maintaining warranty and sustainability requirements,” said Renfro. Requirements to take the exam include possessing 48 months of experience and an undergraduate degree in construction management, construction science, architecture or engineering. “I’d recommend it to folks if they’re serious about construction management in the Corps of Engineers, or even outside the Corps of Engineers,” said Renfro. “It’s a great measuring stick to sit down and take the exam and see if you’re competent in all the areas in the construction management profession.”

Engineer earns ‘CCM’ designationBy Stephan BaackPublic Affairs Office

“I’m so grateful. So, so grateful.” Marquez wasn’t the only one Holly connected with, though. During his monthlong deployment, Holly teamed up with local contractors and government workers who helped him navigate the island and communicate with residents. “I would say the thing that impacted me the most was the people – just how grateful they are, and thankful and joyful, even though they may not all have a house and they’re living with family members, or have no electricity still in many areas, and [a lack of] food and water. Those essential things,” said Holly. “It’s definitely an eye-opener and more encouraging than anything to see someone living in those conditions and … they’re encouraging to you. They want to give you food and water.”

Holly’s wife also works for Huntsville Center and has deployed several times, including to Afghanistan. Holly finished his Department of the Army internship nearly a year ago, and he’s now hoping he’ll get more chances to deploy. “A lot of those deployment opportunities weren’t open to me before, so we’re hoping now that we can actually do these things together,” he said. Holly is already making plans to return to Puerto Rico. If he does, he said he wants to bring more supplies to Marquez. If not, though, Brito said her father is plenty grateful for Holly’s visit in November. “He said that made up for Christmas – all Christmases from here on out and birthdays and everything,” said Brito. “It was the best present ever.” Editor’s note: As of Jan. 30, 2018, Marquez’ electricity still comes form a generator.

Puerto RicoContinued from page 3

Aaron Renfro, Ordnance and Explosives Directorate engineer, recently earned his Certified Construction Manager designation.

Photo by Stephen Baack

HNC News ®

Arthur Martin is the new director of the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville’s

Installation Support and Programs Management Directorate. Martin began his U.S. Army Corps of Engineers career in the Mobile District’s Construction Division in 1986. In addition to Mobile District, Martin worked in Savannah District before joining Huntsville Center in August 1999 working in the Mechanical-Electrical Division of the Center’s Engineering Directorate. Chip Marin, Huntsville Center programs director, said Martin’s in-depth experience makes him the right person for the job. Martin has been an ISPM branch chief, division chief and was acting deputy director since March. “He’s uniquely qualified, via actual experience from the ground level up,” Marin said. As acting ISPM director, Martin represented Huntsville Center as the lead on assessing and updating the Corps of Engineer’s upgrade to the Program and Project Management (P2) Automated Information System, an

Martin selected ISPM directorBy William S. FarrowPublic Affairs Office

important process for the Center and the USACE enterprise. “He understands the totality of the project management business practices and the necessity of ensuring P2 meets the entirety of the program and project management functional area requirements,” Marin said. Martin is also a natural leader and mentor, which is a very important aspect for the position, Marin said. “He takes the time to coach, teach and mentor his employees and is widely respected for providing honest, candid feedback in helping his employees learn and grow,” Marin said. Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in

mechanical engineering and master’s degrees in business administration and project management. He is also a graduate of the Army Management Staff College. Additionally, he is certified as a project management professional and holds a Level III in facilities engineering, a Level II in programs/project management and a Level I in program management from the Defense Acquisition University. He was one of only two individuals from USACE selected to participate in the Harvard University’s Senior Executive Program and completed the fellowship in 2016. Martin said there are certain areas in ISPM he will focus on more. However, he said there is already a solid foundation within the directorate. “We will continue to concentrate on innovative ways to deliver the programs along with an internal focus on executing basic responsibilities,” he said. “Program and project managers will continue performing efficiently and with keen attention to detail. We already have an awesome team in place – so I am confident in our ability to achieve that portion of my vision,” Martin said.

Three Huntsville Center employees, Kristal Huinker, project management specialist with the Medical Repair and Renewal Program; Christopher Barnett, lead contract specialist with Information Technology Systems Division; and Shannon Robbins, international administrative assistant with Ordnance and Explosives Directorate, participate in a navigation exercise Oct. 24, with goggles that simulate alcohol and/or drug intoxication. Wanda Gilbert, Employee Assistance Program coordinator with Redstone Arsenal presented an alcohol and substance abuse class Oct. 24, at the Center. The goggles were used as part of the presentation

Impaired


Arthur Martin

Photo by Michael May

HNC News®


Hundreds of business representatives from companies small and large descended on the Davidson Center for Space Exploration in Huntsville, Alabama, to attend

the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center’s annual Small Business Forum, Oct. 18. The event provides an opportunity for small business representatives to discuss their capabilities with Huntsville Center contracting officials and program managers and learn about upcoming opportunities to work with the Corps of Engineers. Networking gatherings like the annual Small Business Forum can provide valuable information that helps small businesses, program managers and contracting professionals identify needs and industry capabilities in support of Huntsville Center’s many programs. In fiscal year 2017, Huntsville Center directed awards valued at more than $637 million to small businesses, many of these businesses were local to the Huntsville area, according to Rebecca Goodsell, Huntsville Center Office of Small Business chief. Goodsell said Huntsville Center’s policy is focused on providing “maximum practicable” prime and subcontracting opportunities to small firms. That, she said directly impacts not only on the services Huntsville Center provides, but also on the success of women-owned small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses and service disabled veteran-owned small businesses. “Small businesses are the economic growth engine for America,” Goodsell said. “Small businesses provide jobs, innovation and competition in industry.” Small businesses represent 29.6 million companies in the U.S., create 63.3 percent of new jobs, export 34 percent of all U.S. exports, employ more than half of all private sector employees and generate more than half of our Gross Domestic Product, according to Goodsell Col. John S. Hurley, Huntsville Center commander, opened the forum by telling those in attendance that the day’s events were fundamentally about finding ways for solving common problems. “Engineering in my mind is just the process of coming up with nuanced and sophisticated solutions to the toughest problems before you,” Hurley said. “And that requires the entire team to do that. That requires the government. It requires industry. It requires large business. It requires small business. “We’re counting on you to be great stakeholders and help us ask the right questions up front, help us make the right

Small Business Forum brings stakeholders togetherBy Mark ThompsonPublic Affairs Office

assumptions, and help us figure out what the nuanced and sophisticated solutions are,” Hurley said. One of the collaborative solutions Huntsville Center employs to tackle engineering and acquisition challenges is via a holistic approach and the use and development of Project Delivery Teams, said Albert “Chip” Marin, Huntsville Center programs director. “You’ll find the whole PDT sitting together, in a cubicle arrangement, so they all can hear the conversations that each is having day in and day out so they maintain situation awareness,” Marin said. Hurley left reminding the participants about what’s really at stake when business and industry come together to find the best and most fiscally sound ways to meet the Corps of Engineers and America’s unique engineering needs. “At the end of the day there is a Soldier, a Sailor, an Airman, a Marine, a family member, or a veteran at the back end of this counting on us to get the best quality at the best price,” Hurley said. “And you are an instrumental part of that work!”

Lt. Col. Hugh Darville, Huntsville Center deputy commander, answers questions from WAFF reporter Stephanie Mills during the Small Business Forum at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration in Huntsville, Alabama, Oct. 18.

Photo by Mark Thompson


HNC News ®

Huntsville Center oversees overhaul project in Japan

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fuels Recurring Maintenance and Minor Repair

Program at Huntsville Center completed a four-month-long overhaul project Sept. 23 on the first set of marine loading arms at U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. Marine loading arms are used for transferring gases and liquids, usually fuel, between shore and ship. The movable arms have swivel joints and are made to shift with the movement of a floating vessel. Under the program, Pond Constructors and Kikkawa Co. Ltd. were contracted to overhaul a total of 12 loading arms. Work on the first four arms started in May, and they have since passed final tests to become operational. The program maintains and repairs marine loading arms all over the U.S. and in Japan. Twenty percent of the marine loading arms under the program’s purview are at the Sasebo base. “Minor” may be in the program’s name, but Project Manager Tracy Helmick calls this endeavor “a large undertaking.” These particular arms are each about 60 feet tall and weigh between 40,000 and 60,000 pounds, but before any work began, contractors needed to completely remove them from the fuel terminal. “They came all the way down off the wharf, were put on a barge and taken to an off-site,” said Helmick. “They were completely torn apart. Every joint where there was a swivel or a seal was replaced.” Keith Southard, mechanical engineer assigned to the Operations Division in the Center’s Engineering Directorate here, was on site in Japan for a week to witness final testing, provide quality

By Stephan BaackPublic Affairs Office

assurance and safety oversight, and ensure the contractors were meeting the Navy’s expectations. “They made a few adjustments to the arms and got them operational,” Southard said. “Within a week they were ahead of schedule. I could really tell they knew what they were doing. They look brand-new again.” Southard added that overhauls are typically due for marine loading arms every 10 years to ensure their reliability. He said marine loading arms that are working beyond their 10-year recommended lifecycle may gradually become difficult to operate and develop leaks. To keep pace with future overhauls on marine loading arms, Helmick said the Fuels program has started an effort to tackle the work for each arm more systematically.

“We’ve laid out a plan that makes it a three-year process that will begin the third year before an overhaul is due,” said Helmick. “We back up three years before the overhaul is due, and we’ll start the process then. That’s not been in place before.” Helmick visited Sasebo herself in May when work first began. “You really don’t get a good appreciation until you see the work in person, I think,” said Helmick. “I can look at pictures and I can kind of judge, but to actually be there to witness any corrections that needed to be made on the spot and just see the overall [picture] – how big they really are and the importance of the mission – it just really helps bring it all home what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”

Technicians with Kikkawa, a Japanese contracting company responsible for a recent overhaul of marine loading arms in Sasebo, Japan, adjust a newly overhauled marine loading arm at U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan. The overhaul for this set of loading arms, which was a four-month project for the Navy, was managed by the Corps of Engineers’ Fuels Recurring Maintenance and Minor Repair Program at Huntsville Center.

Photo by Keith Southard

HNC News®


Numerous hazards confront professional divers during even simple operations, but they do not need to face their task alone.

For a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dive operation, a team of professionals is behind them with a comprehensive plan. This was the case during a dive operation that took place Aug. 28 – Sept. 1 to repair the marine oil booms at the Pearl Harbor Hotel Pier off the Hawaiian island of Oahu.Members of Huntsville Center’s Fuels Recurring Maintenance and Minor Repair Program led the coordination effort on the dive operation to inspect and repair the booms, which are floating apparatuses designed to contain any oil that might leak from a docking vessel. The Hotel Pier is made to accommodate large vessels that include aircraft carriers. The damage to these particular booms was from an accumulation of normal wear and tear. “The coordination for a dive is pretty intense,” said Lauren Ross, project manager for Navy Phase 6, a project encompassing work on 25 sites throughout the Pacific region. “The team did a great job with prior planning, which included reviewing the dive plans, coordination with multiple stakeholders from various agencies, and making sure that everything was safe while work was performed to required standards.” Here in Huntsville, Ross teamed up with safety managers Jason Walsh and Ray Waits to put together the dive plan. The three partnered with USACE Alaska District’s dive coordinators David Prado and Gregory Vernon. Contractor Pond Constructors and their subcontractor Truston Technologies executed the dive operation with Vernon performing duties as a dive inspector. According to Vernon, several safety requirements factor into the complexity of dive plans. Considerations include the depth and duration of a dive, as well as the diver’s qualification, experience, and physical and mental conditions. For example, a diver must have completed at least one year of commercial experience, have completed four working dives with similar decompression techniques as in the dive plan, and they must provide supporting documentation. “There are also stringent medical requirements a diver must undergo before being considered fit for diving,” said Vernon. “A minor cold or an ear problem can sideline a diver.” All USACE dive operations are carried out in accordance with Engineer Manual 385-1-1, the Corps’ Safety and Health Requirements Manual, which includes 24 pages of diving

requirements. Due to these stringent requirements, Vernon said he has seen dive plans as large as 300 pages. Walsh, who called this particular operation “very well-coordinated all around,” said the contractors met up the day before operations commenced to pre-inspect and ensure they had everything they needed to prevent any delays during the actual operation, meeting with Vernon each morning during the operation as well. “It takes time, but everyone made the coordination and communication a priority,” said Ross. “The results of that were obvious when they got on site.” In an email to Ross and Walsh on the day operations wrapped up, Vernon praised the dive team for executing an operation that was “one of the best I have seen in years. “The team covered every aspect of the dive hazards, as well as the external hazards associated with pier operations,” Vernon said. Vernon added that he was impressed with the daily, “overlapping” safety briefings to all personnel, which he called a best practice. These consisted of an initial briefing that covered topside hazards and another round of overlapping safety guidance that covered dive-specific hazards. “They not only exceeded our standards but implemented best practices I have not witnessed for the 17 years I have worked for the Corps,” Vernon added.

Teamwork, safety key to dive operation’s success at Pearl HarborBy Stephan BaackPublic Affairs Office

Diver Max Schramm undergoes pre-inspection safety checks before a dive with the help of Erick Knezek, dive tender and owner of Truston Technologies, and Trent Webster, dive supervisor. The dive was part of an operation that took place Aug. 28 – Sept. 1 to repair the marine oil booms at the Pearl Harbor Hotel Pier off the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Photo by Gary Leach


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The results of two employee surveys at the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center

pointed out areas where Huntsville Center excels and also identified nearly 40 recommendations for improvements here. The results were from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute Organizational Climate Survey that a portion of Huntsville Center employees took in 2016. The surveys showed favorable perceptions in areas including organizational cooperation and commitment, job and pay satisfaction, and in support for seeking help for personal issues. Many of these ratings were higher than the rest of the Corps of Engineers. Survey results also showed employees perceive a need for improvements in areas including workspace quality, employee-supervisor communication, employee recognition,

workload distribution, and workplace conduct. Valerie Ward, human resources strategic adviser, teamed up with Angela Morton, supervisory equal opportunity officer with the center’s Equal Employment Opportunity Office, to analyze the results and create a list of recommendations to address the areas that presented the largest opportunities for growth. Ward managed the results of the 2016 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, and Morton handled the 2016 DEOMI Organizational Climate Survey. The FEVS asks employees how they perceive their workplace experiences, leadership, organization and job satisfaction. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management administers the survey annually across the federal government. The DEOMI Organizational Climate Survey, or DEOCS, covers organizational effectiveness, equal opportunity issues, fair treatment, and sexual assault prevention and response. DEOMI administers the DEOCS at the request of commanders and/or when an organization receives a new

commander. Although the surveys are separate, Ward said they fit together well to gauge often-related workplace issues. “I think we come from two different perspectives that complement each other, so I think it worked out really, really well,” said Ward. Once they analyzed that feedback, Morton and Ward reported it to Col. John Hurley, Center commander, and a board of senior leaders: Lt. Col. Hugh Darville, deputy commander; Albert “Chip” Marin III, programs director; and Dan Heinzelman, business director.Morton and Ward worked with members of the Huntsville workforce to brainstorm recommendations for growth and improvements. They did this through focus groups and sensing sessions, which were both face-to-face and non-attribution. The focus groups gave employees who represented a cross-section of the workforce the opportunity to provide general input to Ward and Morton. These groups included employees from different organizations,

Workplace survey results prompt nearly 40 recommendationsBy Stephan BaackPublic Affairs Office

Col. John Hurley, center, Huntsville Center commander, reviews results of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute Organizational Climate Survey Oct. 23, with Angela Morton, right, supervisory equal opportunity officer with the center’s Equal Employment Opportunity Office. Sitting with them at the table, from left to right, are Valerie Ward, human resources strategic adviser who managed the results of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey; Dan Heinzelman, former business director; Albert “Chip” Marin, programs director; and Lt. Col. Hugh Darville, deputy commander.

See “Survey” on page 23

Courtesy photo

HNC News®


occupations and grades. The sensing sessions, on the other hand, were more targeted and helped Morton and Ward address areas that had a more negative response, Morton said. “We had a really good participation from employees,” said Ward. “We told them it was non-attribution, and we asked that everybody respect that.” “Overall, our surveys are very strong and show we have a healthy command climate,” said Hurley. “As a Center we scored higher than many of our counterparts throughout the Department of Defense, the Army and the Corps of Engineers. That said, this was the perfect opportunity to find ways we can improve as an organization, as employees and as supervisors.” The more positive FEVS responses included a 100 percent agreement with the sentence, “When needed I am willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done,” a 92.5 percent agreement with “My agency is successful at accomplishing its mission,” an 89.4 percent agreement with “The people I work with cooperate to get the job done,” and an 87.8 percent agreement with “My supervisor supports my need to balance work and other life issues.” Additionally, Huntsville Center outpaced the rest of the Corps of Engineers with favorable views on pay satisfaction, cooperation among employees and sections, and on supervisors’ effectiveness in evaluating the organization’s “progress toward meeting its goals and objectives.” For DEOCS, the Center outpaced USACE in its favorable perceptions of organizational commitment, organizational cohesion and job satisfaction. The Center also scored high among employees in the areas of organizational performance and how encouraged they feel to seek help for problems such as depression, suicidal thoughts and post-traumatic stress disorder. The final recommendations for growth fell into four topic areas for each survey. From FEVS, Ward’s focus was on perceptions of senior leaders; performance, awards and recognition; recruitment and promotions; and communication. From DEOCS, Morton addressed facilities and space; hostile work environment; workload distribution; and mentoring programs. Under the FEVS focus areas, Ward said many employees wished their supervisors were more familiar with their critical supervisory roles and responsibilities. One example was the practice of recognizing differences in performance in meaningful ways, including rewarding high performers and taking steps to handle poor performers. Due to this area of concern, Ward and Morton recommended the face-to-face class called “HR for Supervisors,” which covers employee-relations issues, time

and leave, disciplinary actions, union issues and supporting diversity and EEO initiatives in the course of recruiting. “The Army mandates that all supervisors take the Supervisor Development Course, which is an online class, but, based on some of the results and comments from employees, I felt that supervisors needed more in-depth, face-to-face training on dealing with HR personnel issues,” said Ward. “They get to talk to their CPAC person in each one of those specialty areas and ask questions, listen to their answers, engage and know who they are,” Ward added. “So, when they do have an issue that comes up, they know whom to talk to, to get that specific advice about whatever the issues are.” Morton recommended a class called “Verbal Judo,” based on a book of the same name. Certain sections have already taken the class, said Morton. “It made a tremendous impact, I think, on the supervisors there, and in fact it was obvious in our sensing session with that group that it had helped a great deal,” said Morton. Another hot topic from the surveys, focus groups and sensing sessions was workspace quality. This issue came up again on the more recent 2017 survey, and though a plan is in place, Ward predicts it will remain an issue until upgrades actually take place. “We’re working on it,” said Ward. “They have a plan of action to upgrade this building and the other buildings that we have, but we’re just not there yet.” After the focus groups and sensing sessions, Hurley conducted face-to-face town hall sessions with Center employees to hear their feedback in person. “He wanted to make sure that he was present; that the employees had an opportunity to talk to him personally and hear from him personally,” said Ward. Finally, Hurley directed leaders throughout Huntsville Center to develop corrective action plans. Hurley said “corrective action” may have a negative connotation, but he said it’s really just a method to target areas for growth. “The sensing sessions, focus groups and action plans were about talking to employees and finding out where and how to invest resources to get the biggest and quickest return,” said Hurley. “This is about opportunities.” The next step is implementing the approved recommendations, tracking the progress and analyzing future feedback. Ward and Morton said one word that would describe this process was “accountability.” “The commander wanted to assure the employees that we are looking at the surveys, analyzing them, and we’re planning on doing something about it – because a lot of time they take these surveys, and they don’t hear anything,” said Ward. “He wants to make sure that we’re taking that extra step and we’re actually doing something about it.”

SurveyContinued from page 22


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Systems engineer overcomes adversity, recognized by Secretary of Defense

For the last seven years, Jason Moore has worked at the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville as an information technology specialist for the Center’s

management review office. He loves his job, which involves supporting a high priority, multi-million dollar, classified network. He interfaces and coordinates with diverse government and contractor organizations to determine and recommend how automation techniques can be used to support and enhance the organization’s ability to meet mission requirements. Moore has a master’s degree in Information Security and Assurance and is also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Information Assurance Administrator and a Computer Forensics Investigator. “I am a geek,” Moore admits. “But I’m not your typical geek.” With all his degrees and certifications, and because he works in IT, most people would think Moore would be the epitome of a what American society has us think about geeks; that they are socially awkward and more comfortable playing online science fiction computer games. However, as Moore rolls through Huntsville Center’s halls, it’s evident he is far from socially awkward; he’s quite popular among the workforce, greeted with fist bumps and hugs. He eagerly chats about the latest University of Alabama football game results. He can tell you where to get a good barbecue sandwich. He can diagnose issues coworkers are having with their cars and recommends repairs. He’s a geek, but not your typical geek. He’s not your typical coworker either. Moore sits in a wheelchair most of his waking hours due to a muscle disease limiting his ability to walk. However, he hasn’t always been this way.

The farm, the work ethic and the trips Moore grew up on his parents’ farm outside Florence, Alabama. From a young age he knew the meaning of work ethic. “I understood at an early age that you have to work for what you want; if you want to have fun, you have to work hard. I did not know any other way of life,” Moore said. From a young age, he worked the family garden and kept the grass cut. He also liked fixing things and was mechanically inclined. When he was 8 years old, he disassembled the lawn mower motor and put it back together. He wanted to see how it worked. Soon he was working on other equipment. He was repairing and maintaining the trucks, tractors and other

pieces of equipment used on the farm. He said he believes his mechanical comprehension directly led to his career in IT. He wasn’t just turning wrenches on tractors, he was also improving and repairing the family computer by installing sticks of RAM and replacing video cards and hard drives. “Computers were fascinating to me. To disassemble a computer and put one back together and make it better was exciting to me.” Moore’s life wasn’t centered solely on working the farm. He was a typical Alabama boy growing up who played football, basketball and baseball. He played organized sports on through high school. However, Moore recalls that when he was about 12 years old, his mother noticed he wasn’t walking correctly. Sometimes he would trip for no reason. Later he began slightly dragging his foot. His mother took him to the family doctor. They were referred to other specialists in the local area. Soon they were seeing specialists at the Kirkland Clinic at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. “I was diagnosed with a degenerative muscle disease, but I

By William S. FarrowPublic Affairs Office

See “Moore” on page 25

Jason Moore, a senior IT specialist with Huntsville Center, has overcome diagnoses of degenerative muscular disease and Stage Four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He has worked at the Center since 2011.

Photo by William S. Farrow

®JaNUaRy 2018 HUNTSvILLe CeNTeR BULLeTIN 25

wasn’t going to let it hold me back,” Moore said. “I wasn’t going to let anything keep me from doing the things I wanted to do due to the attitude instilled in me from a young age. Moore said his grandfather was a huge influence in his life, teaching him that life is what you make it and not what someone gives you. “He taught me to have a solid work ethic,” Moore said. Moore said the greatest lesson he learned from his family while growing up was not just to work hard, but also to set goals and work to obtain those goals. “I have always lived that way through my life, worked hard, set goals and pursued opportunities when the time was right,” Moore said. Although he had been diagnosed with a muscular disease, Moore went about his business through his teens attending school, playing sports, hanging out with friends and figuring out his future.

A path forward After graduating from Central High School in Florence in 1990, Moore knew exactly what he wanted to do to increase his opportunities to meet his goals. Although computers weren’t as vital in business and industry as they are today, Moore knew they would be integral to the future. However, Moore also knew it wasn’t just the computers themselves, but more importantly the networks computers used to talk to each other; especially the security required to keep information and data safe. After receiving his associate’s degree in Computer Information Systems from his local community college, Moore jumped at an opportunity to work for a Birmingham company that was in the business of building and maintaining networks. The on-the-job training and certification process was

integral to Moore staying on top of the technological wave that was beginning to have such an impact on business and government. He was building and maintaining networks for municipalities and large corporations. However, after more than five years living and working in the Magic City, Moore and his new bride, Carrie, decided they wanted to live somewhere less crowded than Alabama’s largest city. They agreed Huntsville was the best choice for them. Moore applied for and was offered a job with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) providing contracted network services for what is now the Missile Defense Agency at Redstone Arsenal. Moore said he loved his job there as he was learning more and more about large network systems and details regarding network security. He was working 50-to 60-hour weeks while also taking online classes toward his bachelor’s degree. He soon had his bachelor’s and not long after that he had

a master’s degree under his belt.

A few words bring a new perspective For years Moore had worked long hours and knew he was overextending himself. He would counter the exhaustion with rest on the weekends. Then in 2007, Moore said he felt extremely exhausted. He knew it was more than too many hours at work. “This was different. I was working a lot and putting in a lot of hours and I would be tired and get some rest on the weekend and be back at it on Monday. But I just felt very weak. I didn’t feel normal” he recalls. “So I went in for a doctor’s visit and they did blood work and then results came in and we were floored.” In January 2008, Moore was diagnosed with Stage Four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer that develops from cells in the lymphatic system that produces white blood cells to help the body fight infections.

Jason Moore was honored in October with the 2017 Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding DoD Civilian Employees with Disabilities. He has worked with Huntsville Center for seven years, where he is the network and systems administrator of the local and wide area networks in support of a high-priority multi-million dollar program. Moore was presented the award by Anthony M. Kurta, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, along with Maj. Gen. Anthony Funkhouser, USACE Deputy Commanding General For Military and International Operations, and Raymond F. Reese, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Training, Readiness, and Mobilization.

MooreContinued from page 24

See “Moore” on page 26

Courtesy photo

HNC News®


“Hearing the words ‘you have cancer,’ really puts things in perspective,” Moore said. “I have a degenerative muscle disease, but I was never going to let that stop me. Now I’ve got cancer and I was at a point of thinking to myself ‘I’ve got to make a choice; live or die.’ I knew I only had one choice to make.” Moore started chemotherapy treatment March 3, 2008. By May 23, 2008 he was in full remission. Moore said the medical care he received was fantastic, and his optimistic attitude to beat cancer had a lot to do with his quick recovery. He said he still attributes his recovery to a higher power. “Who can say it (remission) didn’t happen but through divine intervention,” Moore said.

Setting roots with change Going through life–altering medical issues as a young man, Moore said he began closely evaluating his life and was determining what was important to him. His muscular disease was having a greater impact on his mobility. He and Carrie wanted children in their future. They wanted to establish roots in Huntsville. Moore knew that as he climbed the corporate ladder working for a large international company like SAIC, he might be asked to relocate to another city in another state. “I had been working as a contractor supporting the Department of Defense for years,” Moore said. “SAIC was great, and I really learned a lot with them, but I decided that if I was going to keep doing the kind of work I do, I wanted to do it as a federal employee. I really wanted to serve my country.” Moore said since he was a teenager, he had always felt a need to serve his nation in some capacity. “I know I would have served in the military — probably with the Air Force. But I couldn’t enlist because of this muscle disease. Sure, I was helping the military with the work I was doing at SAIC, but I’ve always felt a need to serve,” Moore said. In 2010 Moore began applying for federal positions at multiple agencies at Redstone Arsenal. He also applied for a position at Huntsville Center and soon received a call asking him to interview for the position. Not long after that, he accepted the job offer and in 2011 was a member of the Huntsville Center workforce. With more than seven years serving at the Center, Moore said he sees Huntsville Center’s workforce as more of an extension of his family. “When I began working here, I was having to use my crutches more and more, but I was accepted into the Center with open arms,” Moore recalls.

“The Center is full of great people working as a team on very important missions supporting the warfighter. It’s been a great work-environment and not once have I ever felt out-of-place because of my disability. I’ve always been treated as a member of the team; as someone that matters and as someone who belongs, and that means the world to me.” One of Moore’s coworkers, Col. Pete Rayna, Military Programs Directorate assistant executive director, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, said Moore is an exceptionally dedicated team player. Moore maintains the wide area network Rayna uses for contingency planning. “Jason is the kind of person that no matter what else is going on, if you pick up the phone and ask him for help, he will absolutely stop whatever he is doing and provide that assistance,” Rayna said. “Jason has a great sense of humor and will tease you a little bit while he is solving your problem, but he will stay with you until you are good to go. I depend on Jason’s expertise as an information technology specialist, but I also consider him to be a friend.”

Recognition and inspiration Moore’s value as a Center team member was evident when he was honored with two others representing the Corps of Engineers during the 2017 Secretary of Defense Service Members and Civilian Employees with Disabilities Award Ceremony at the Pentagon Auditorium, Oct. 5. Moore said he was humbled by the nomination. “I’ve never received an award of this magnitude,” Moore said. “It just blew me away.” Moore said what was more humbling was listening to the ceremony’s keynote speaker, Iraq war veteran Dan Nevins, a double amputee wounded during an improvised explosive device attack in Mosul, Iraq, in 2004. “His speech was focused on what choices he had to make to move on with his life after his injury,” Moore said. “His speech focused on not letting yourself get beat — you have to move on and do what it takes to live. I’m certainly not a war hero, but during his speech something matched up with the decisions I have had to make — the determination to not just survive, but to survive and thrive for my family. His speech really resonated with me.” Nevins’ speech may have been inspiring to Moore, but for many in the Center, Moore is an inspiration for all he has endured, and all he will endure in the future. Moore said people often ask him how he gets up in the morning and goes to work and keeps a positive attitude after all he’s been through and is still going through. “I tell them ‘It’s what I do. I make a difference,’” Moore said. “There are plenty of challenges, but there isn’t anything I can’t do.”

MooreContinued from page 25

HNC News ®

®JaNUaRy 2018 HUNTSvILLe CeNTeR BULLeTIN 27

Contracting Corner:

As stewards of the taxpayer’s dollar, we must ensure we get a fair price for the goods and

services that we purchase. One of the ways that we do this is by making sure the majority of our procurements do not “overly restrict” offerors from bidding or offering. “Promoting Full and Open competition” to the “greatest extent practicable” helps drive prices (or costs) down. There are times however, when restricting competition is in the best interests of the government. The following guidance will help clear the process to obtain the required approvals necessary to restrict competition:

Restricting Competition: What’s in a name?By Karen Gratton-ZarnContracting Oversight

Step 1: Learn the Terminology The FAR refers to “restricting competition” by several different names. n FAR Part 6.302: Justification & Approval (J&A): A document required to justify and obtain appropriate level approvals to contract without providing for full and open competition.n FAR Part 8.405-6: Limited Source Justification (LSJ): A document required when limiting sources for orders or Business Process Automation established against Federal Supply Schedules, which includes Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions Software, Enterprise Licensing Agreements and Electronically Stored Information, but does not include application software.n FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i): Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity (JEFO): A document required when all awardees are not given a fair opportunity to be considered for a delivery or task order less than $3,000 on contracts awarded under FAR Part 16.5.n Memorandum for Record (MFR): A form used to document the justification and approval to limit competition below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) currently $150,000 for FAR Parts 8, 13.1,

Step 2: After selecting a template, review the authorities that correspond to the respective FAR part. Choose the option that most accurately describes the situation. Also note that:a. Only one authority (FAR citation) shall be used – they cannot be combined. When the action is “Only One Source” and “Brand Name,” use only the “Only One Source” Authority.b. Unusual and Compelling Urgency is rarely used.

Step 3: Determine the approval level. Levels vary depending on the dollar value. Consult the USACE Acquisition Instruction/USACE Desk Guide for the most recent thresholds.

Surveys show stakeholder responses positive

The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville conducted its FY17 Stakeholder/Customer Satisfaction Survey from Oct. 20 – Dec. 3.

The total stakeholder survey base consisted of 738 stakeholders of which 37 percent responded. Army stakeholders comprise the largest proportion of the sample at 51 percent, followed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers organizations (30 percent). Other service components, Department of Defense and federal agencies made up the remaining 15 percent. The survey included questions addressing stakeholder relationship dynamics and general characteristics of services. Some of the highlights from the survey are:n Responses (90 percent or more) were positive. n A 91 percent satisfaction rate with overall experience. n A 92 percent stakeholder indication that they would recommend Huntsville Center to other organizations and 89 percent indicated overall product delivery satisfaction.

Questions receiving the highest percentage of positive ratings at 93 percent and 92 percent respectively were “You are an important member of the team” and “Huntsville Center possesses strong technical capabilities.” Questions

receiving the lowest percentage ratings were “Products and services are at reasonable cost,” and “Efficient and timely services,” weighing in at 86 percent. Thirty three percent of stakeholders believe they will require more services from the Center in the next five years. Stakeholders were asked to weigh factors of importance, scope, schedule, cost, quality and safety. According to the responses, quality ranked as the most important factor. From the results we can determine the Center’s stakeholders are satisfied with the Center’s overall performance, will come back to the Center, and will recommend the Center’s services to others. However, stakeholders want to see more efficient and timely services, an improved communication process and less Center employee turnover. Stakeholders were also offered an opportunity to provide general comments and recommendations for improvement. The most frequent positive comments concerned compliments to individuals, staff and the organization as well as the support Center staff provide. Compliments to staff are particularly important since loyalty is a direct result of strong relationships which is at the heart of stakeholder satisfaction. Some less than positive comments concerned the communication process, timeliness of services and Huntsville Center’s employee turnover.

By Carolyn HarrisProgram Improvement Manager

Quality Corner:

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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMYENGINEERING AND SUPPORT CENTER, HUNTSVILLEP.O. BOX 1600HUNTSVILLE, AL 35807-4301

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Ethics Corner

28 BUILDING STRONG ® JaNUaRy 2018

It is that time of year again. Every February, groundhogs look for their shadows, Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged and certain federal employees file their OGE 450 Form.

Why do we do this? To ensure public confidence in the integrity of the federal government, people in certain executive branch positions are required by the Ethics in Government Act to file an OGE Form 450 because of the responsibilities associated with the position. Personnel whose duties involve the exercise of discretion in sensitive areas such as contracting, procurement, administration of grants and licenses, and regulating or auditing non-federal entities are required to file. This group includes Contracting Officer’s Representatives. The OGE 450 lists the assets, liabilities and outside positions of government employees. These forms can then be utilized to analyze and prevent financial conflicts of interest. If you filed an OGE 450 form last year, you are required to file one this year, unless your duties have changed. OGE Form 450s must be filed on the Army’s automated Financial Disclosure Management system. Required filers

should already be registered in the FDM system. If you have previously filed on the FDM System, the form will populate using the last year’s data. You will not have to re-enter old information but you can make changes to the downloaded data. For new data, fill out the information requested (assets, liabilities, gifts, etc.) and click through the pages until you’re done. Remember that the entries should be correct for calendar year 2017. If you are not sure what you are supposed to be reporting, there are helpful hints on the right side of each page that should answer any questions. There are also links to several tutorials that may also answer questions. At the end of the process you have to “e-sign” your disclosure statement. You can print out a hard copy for your own records but it is not necessary. For the FDM system, the “supervisor” is at the Division Level – and it is likely not your immediate supervisor. Please do not try to change this or call the help desk. Once you electronically sign and hit submit, the form automatically routes in the system to the “supervisor.” The deadline for completing the OGE 450 Form in the FDM system is Feb. 15. If you have questions about whether you should file an OGE 450 Form this year, call 256-895-1101.

Calling all OGE 450 Form filers: It’s that time of year again

By Melanie BraddockOffice of Counsel

u.s. army engineering and support center, huntsville 2017 ... · the employee spotlight is intended...

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